Another Opportunity For Sibling Bonding
by Shunyata Ryuen
Summary: When Rokou's carelessness leads to a stolen shipment of dresses, Nuriko and Korin are the only ones who can keep their father out of bankruptcy. Hunting down bandits! Another opportunity for sibling bonding!
1. Chapter I: Damn it, Rokou!

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. No, really. Really. Stop calling.  
  
AN1: This, friends, is an AU fic. The most important thing you need to remember is this: Korin never died. *firm nod* Aside from that, you'll most likely figure all else out on your own. After all, you're a bright reader, aren't you? Aaaaaaren't you? *pinches cheeks* Ah, and Korin's is thirteen-going-on-fourteen in this story, so do the rest of the math if you must. -_-;;  
  
AN2: Dedicated to Purple Mouse, author of many excellent fanfics and my new favorite "characterization" of Nuriko. ^_~. Why dedicated to her? I'll tell you why. For reminding me that WRITING IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN FOR THE AUTHOR, DAMN IT!!! *smiles winningly* Dedicated, also, to Kaze-chan, who keeps the encouragement coming...and who is the first ever to build a shrine to ME! Bwahaha! *grin*  
  
  
---  
  
  
Another Opportunity For Sibling Bonding  
by Ryuen  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
CHAPTER I: Damn it, Rokou!  
  
  
---  
  
"Damn it, Rokou!"  
  
Otousan was...a little angry.   
  
"I just don't understand how you could've been so careless! Honestly, Rokou! We went through this again and again and again--"  
  
Bulging eyes, twitching purple veins, cheeks just starting to turn that lovely shade of scarlet...oh, yes. He was angry. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva and the sudden urge to run to Aniki's defense, I shifted a little on my stool, folded my hands on the table and waited. Something interesting was bound to come out of Aniki's mouth--I could sense it, even sitting all the way over here at the other end of the shop, sorting through handkerchiefs for mothholes. And, sure enough...  
  
Rokou bent his knees in submission, clasped his hands together and looked like he was trying not to beg. "B-B-But, it wasn't my fault, Otousan! Not...not really! I-It was...it was...!"  
  
Tousan's eyeybrows came together into a bushy black line. "Yessssssss?" A dangerous drawl. An even more dangerous glint in those dark eyes.  
  
"It was the bandits' fault!" Rokou exclaimed at last. "Th-They tricked me, Tousan! Th-They pretended they were Guards, and then they...they..."  
  
Tousan took a long step forward, towered over Rokou like the imperial palace over a shack of twigs. "Took all those VERY EXPENSIVE dresses that the WEALTHIEST and most INFLUENTIAL woman in all of the four COUNTRIES special-ordered from ME and ONLY ME almost six weeks ago that need to be shipped TODAY or else she won't PAY FOR THEM? Is THAT what happened, Rokou? IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED?!"   
  
Rokou winced as Tousan's voice reached its pinnacle, shrank back a little more against the wall. Truthfully, I pitied Aniki more than I usually would've cared to admit. Blessed Suzaku, he wasn't exactly the strongest of the three of us as it was, and now here he was, standing alone in the sandstorm of Tousan's rage, no one to blame but bandits and himself? Poor Aniki. Poor dead, dead Aniki.   
  
"WELL?" Tousan roared. "Answer me, boy. Is that right?"  
  
Rokou brought his hands to his face, made a comical nod that brought his elbows up and down, up and down. "H-Hai...Otousan."  
  
I held my breath--so did Rokou. We knew what was coming. This had all been nothing compared to what awaited us--to what awaited whatever poor souls were within hearing distance of the shop on this fine summer morning. Father's rages were seldom spare on the volume--or the language. I still remember that when I was littler, Okaasan would slap her hands over my ears and lead me out of the room--and sometimes out of the block--when Tousan ranted and raved at whichever one of his two sons he'd decided to be angry with that day. Of course, I'd had my own share of Tousan-rants, too--I was far from perfect. After all, what was I? A tomboy who felt more comfortable in her Niisama's vest and trousers than in her own dresses? A girl who had no interest in sewing, cooking, being dainty and pretty--a girl who would rather be out running around with her brothers than inside, sipping tea with her pinky floating in the air? No, I was far from perfect, and I'd received my fair share of fatherly--and motherly, for that matter--rages. But, still. Never. Never, never, never had I seen Tousan like this. Never had one of his children done something that actually merited overreaction like this--that actually merited a wild, ranting rage.   
  
Somewhere beneath all that anger, Otousan was probably giddy with glee to finally be justified in one of these rants.   
  
At last, it was time. Tousan opened his mouth--Rokou cowered a little more, and I tentatively brought my hands to my ears--and then he drew in a deep breath, raised a hand, and-- Abruptly, the door swung open, jingled its way towards the wall...and slammed into it with a crash that seemed to shake the whole shop.  
  
Niisama winced, took a step into the room and bowed his head a bit sheepishly. "Gomen ne..."  
  
The momentum of the upcoming rage must've been too much for Otousan. He spun on his middle son with bulging eyes, raised his hand a little higher and balled it into a fist. "RYUEN!" he bellowed. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SLAMMING THAT DOOR?"  
  
Oddly enough, Niisama didn't seem all that surprised at the reaction. Then again, he had lived with Tousan longer than I had--maybe that made him more accustomed to these mood swings. But...still.  
  
"Gomen ne, Tousan," he repeated, bowing his head and letting his hands clasp respectfully before him. "I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Wasn't thinking--wasn't thinking!" Tousan laughed the high, nasty laugh I'd come to associate with extreme rage or insanity. Or both. "What is it with you boys and never THINKING!? Honestly, if I had a ryou for every time you or your brother didn't THINK, why I'd be richer than Heika-sama himself! Blessed Suzaku, Ryuen! You need to start THINKING about things before you DO them!"  
  
And, that was when it hit me. //Damn. Niisama, you idiot hero, you. You WERE thinking when you came in here, weren't you?//  
  
My gaze shifted to Rokou, standing there with eyes wide and hands still hovering protectively over his face. But, there was something new in his face, now--something like shock and astonishment and gratitude. Slowly, he was realizing that the brunt of this rage wasn't going to be on his shoulders, that he'd been saved again by his little brother.  
  
//Mattaku, Niisama. Always the hero.//  
  
The rant lasted for longer than I'd have thought it would, given the circumstances--and the fact that Tousan had to switch recipients at the last minute. But, it burned a lot less brighter than it would have if it'd been Rokou, and so despite myself, I was glad for the change. Nothing was worse than enduring one of Tousan's ENRAGED rants--Ryuen had spared us, and for that I was grateful. But, not grateful enough to ignore what he'd done. Again.  
  
After Otousan finished up and set off for the tavern to cool down, I slid off my stool, stalked over to my dear violet-haired brother, and smacked him hard on the back of the head. I caught him square in the bun, felt one of the pins press into his scalp and hoped I hadn't hurt him. But, hey, no time for worrying. I had a tragic hero to yell at, after all.  
  
"Niisama," I said sternly. My hands went to my hips--a habit I'd picked up from Okaasan, unfortunately, and one that I was finding it extremely difficult to rid myself of. "You did it--"  
  
"Again," Ryuen finished with a sheepish smile. "I know. Gomen ne, Korin."  
  
My eyes narrowed. "Don't you 'gomen ne' me."  
  
His smile lifted...and, I knew then that it was over.  
  
It always amazed me just how talented Niisama was at bleeding anger out of me--out of anyone, even Tousan sometimes. Dark eyebrows raised a little, widened the rosy violet of the eyes--lips lifted, made way for a row of straight white teeth that seemed to make his whole face glow. And, lo, all traces of anger--justified or not--melted away into nothingness, and Niisama had the upper hand again. Sometimes I wondered if he planned things that way, because it worked beautifully. One innocent, forgive-me-won't-you? smile, and all the weak-minded fools nearby were puddy in his hands.  
  
But, hey, what was there to do about it? Nothing. So, I just smiled and gave Niisama one more obliging smack on the head. "Idiot," I offered affectionately. "One of these days, you're gonna do that self-sacrificing routine, and it's not gonna work out the way you think it will. You can only do that so many times before it hurts you, you know."  
  
Niisama shrugged, and I watched the words flit in through that one delicate ear...and fly right out through the other one. Well, what was I expecting? Ryuen was a hopeless cause when it came to that self-sacrificial stuff. I frowned slightly, saw something new wash over his features. He was switching mental tracks, I realized, and what he was switching to was...  
  
Ryuen turned, regarded our older brother with a solemn stare. "Rokou," he said. "Is what you told Tousan true?"  
  
Aniki blanched. "W-What do you mean?"  
  
"About the bandits." He took a small step forward, somehow managed to tower over Rokou without being taller than him first. It was pretty impressive. "Was it the truth? Did bandits really take the dresses?" Ryuen's fist clenched, and I watched the color bleed from Rokou's face. Younger brother or not, Aniki knew just how hard Niisama could hit when he wanted to--and, I'm sure that's what Ryuen was counting on.  
  
"Y-Yes!" Rokou sputtered. "Yes, it's true!" And then, without warning, he burst into tears. I'd seen him cry before, of course--when we were littler, it was his favorite tactic for getting out of tight spots with Tousan and Kaasan. But, he was older now, and I knew that this was no manipulation trick--he was genuinely upset.   
  
Rokou's words came in a flood of tear-soaked gasps. "It was AWFUL, Ryuen! Th-They came up behind me when I was bringing the cart over to the shop, a-and they said that they were Imperial Guardsmen, and that they needed to check the cart and make sure that it was safe, and I...I let them, and they pointed their swords at me to keep me back and that was when I recognized one of them from that wanted poster the Guards put up in the Square, but it was too late 'cause they had their swords out and I knew they woulda killed me if I said anything, so I just turned around and came back here...a-and now the dresses are gone and Otousan's going to lose all that money and hate me forever and--Ryuen, I don't know what to do to fix it!!" The tears came again, stronger this time, and I watched as Rokou raised his palms to his face to cover it from view.  
  
Niisama moved foward only an instant later, took his older brother into his arms and held him tightly. "Daijobu," he murmured. I was surprised at the sudden change in his stance and temperament, but I suppose I shouldn't have been. Niisama was full of surprises...and, I'd never known him to be actually angry at anyone for more than a few seconds before the gentler side of his nature shone through, anyway. "Daijobu, Aniki." A pause. Rokou's tears began to dry, the sobs to quiet in his throat. Ryuen held him until he'd collected himself again, then finally took a small step back, smiled and gave Aniki a handkerchief to wipe the rest of his tears away.  
  
"D-Domo," Aniki managed.  
  
Ryuen let out a heavy breath, took a long step backwards and leaned up against the shop counter. "We have to get those dresses back." His voice was hard; solid with a certainty I found myself envying. His eyes softened a little. "With business like it is, Tousan needs the money from that old bag in Sailo, or he'll go...well, bankrupt."  
  
I nodded sadly. "Probably have to sell the shop."  
  
Niisama glanced at me, returned the nod. "Right. And, we can't let that happen." His expression hardened; his lips pursed in what I assumed was determination. "We have to get those dresses back. And fast."  
  
Rokou sniffled again, wiped at the last of the wetness on his cheeks. "But, how can we do that? Those bandits have th--" And then, abruptly, it clicked in Aniki's head, and his eyes widened. "No. No way. Ryuen--"  
  
"It's the only way, Aniki."  
  
"But, they're BANDITS! They KILL people!"  
  
"Not always," Niisama countered cheerfully. "Besides, how else are we gonna get out of this mess except by tracking those bastards down and stealing back those dresses?"  
  
"You're INSANE!"  
  
Ryuen shrugged. "Maybe. But, it's the only way. And anyway, you don't have to come. I can do this alo--"  
  
I took a long step forward, folded my arms over my chest and cleared my throat.  
  
"Korin and I can do this alone," Niisama amended with a smile. He turned back to Rokou, was all business again. "Now. Which way did the bandits go?"  
  
Rokou frowned. "Which way did they go? They turned off into the woods at the end of the road, but... You're serious, aren't you, Ryuen? You're really gonna go after them."  
  
"What else can we do, Aniki? Let Tousan lose the shop? You know what'd happen then--Kaasan would have to go back to work, and probably you and me and Korin would have to find jobs, too, and what then? We'd be stuck here in this town for the rest of our lives, Rokou. Do you want that? I don't. I'd rather face the bandits."  
  
Aniki was beaten. I saw that, and I'm sure Rokou did, too, but it didn't stop him from getting off one last shot before fading into submission.  
  
"If anything happens to you or Korin, Tousan and Kaasan will be worse off than they would be bankrupt."  
  
Niisama froze as if he'd been struck.   
  
I closed my eyes, pressed fingers over my eyes and tried to wish away the headache I knew was coming. //Great Suzaku, Aniki. You just had to bring Niisama's guilt complex into this...//  
  
"N...Nothing's going to happen to Korin. Or me." The determination was gone from Niisama's voice, replaced with an uncertain little tremble that worked at his words, made them quiver in the air between us.   
  
The unfamiliar taste of blood on his lips, Rokou struck again. "How do you know that? These guys are dangerous. Gods, Korin almost got killed just walking across the street that one time--what do you think's gonna happen if she goes up against bandits?"  
  
I felt the anger bubbling within me, held back the punch I very much wanted to throw. "Rokou," I growled.  
  
And lo, the guilt card worked its magic...and Ryuen's resolve wavered. "Maybe he's right," he said quietly. His eyes were large and frightened, reminding me of that time all those years ago, when he'd pushed me out of the way of that cart. He'd landed on top of me hard, knocked the wind from my lungs, and I remembered seeing those worried violet eyes above me as I gasped and choked for air.   
  
[Korin? Korin, can you hear me? Are you all right? Korin, please--answer me! KORIN!]  
  
Niisama was one of the stablest people I knew--always good at keeping himself in control, not worrying over things beyond his control...but, this was one area where he always, always faltered. That self-sacrificing nature of his had a bad habit of turning into a feeling of responsibility for EVERYONE around him, and because of that, everything bad that happened was somehow inevitably HIS FAULT. If I decided to step out in front of traffic, that was HIS FAULT. If the gods sent a comet crashing down into the middle of the shop and smashed it into a million pieces, it was HIS FAULT. If Rokou was an idiot and let a bunch of bandits steal the dresses all of us had been working on for the past month and a half, it was HIS FAULT, and thus all of his energy had to be funnelled into fixing it.  
  
But, there were some things that even Ryuen couldn't fix. Death, unfortunately, was one of them, and I guess that scared him more than he'd have liked to admit.  
  
"Korin," he began a little shakily. "Maybe...maybe you should stay here."  
  
But, no, this was NOT going to work. I was NOT going to let this damned guilt thing be the end of my brother. He was NOT going alone. "And, let you go after those guys all by yourself?" I demanded. "That's insane."  
  
"This whole THING is insane," Ryuen countered a bit irritably. "Why would bandits want to steal a bunch of dresses, anyway? There are a thousand other merchants in this city who have better stuff to steal. But no matter how insane it seems, they DID steal them, and we have to get them back."  
  
I nodded. "That's right. WE have to get them back. You're not doing this alone, Ryuen. I don't care if I have to follow you from fifty meters back, I'm coming. Besides." I smiled, the beginnings of an evil, perfect plan starting to form in my mind. "What bandit would suspect two young girls walking alone through the woods?"  
  
"Two...girls?" The confusion gave way after a few seconds, and I heard the gears clicking around in Ryuen's head, watched the smile trickle back onto his lips. "Two girls," he echoed. "Yeah. Yeah, that just might...work."   
  
Rokou frowned. "What?"  
  
But, Niisama wasn't listening. He turned, hurried to the merchandise-filled side of the shop and started picking through one of the racks, shifting the cloth with deft, expert fingers. Finally, he pulled back his hand, dragged with it a stylish burgundy dress with a crisscrossed neckline and pleated skirt. "This," he said. Then, he stretched up a hand, tugged the pins from his bun and let the hair tumble down over his shoulders. I was surprised at how long it had gotten--it reached all the way down to the middle of Ryuen's back, making it a little longer than my own. He grinned. "Think you can do something with this, Korin?"  
  
I offered a tight grin, stepped forward and gave the flood of violet an experimental lift. "Of course. Neesama."  
  
~*~  
  
TO BE CONTINUED.  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
[1] This is a story idea I've been toying with for a few months. Originally, it was going to be a canon fic, centering around the last big adventure Nuriko, Korin, and Ryuen have before Korin's death...but, the perspective works better if Korin's older, so voila! An AU fic was born. -_-;; As for future characters, other members of the shichiseishi WILL be appearing...but I'll leave it to you to guess who. *grin*   
  
[2] I AM going to write more of my other fics in the coming weeks! *firm nod* The next few days are filled with long stretches of time in which I have nothing to do but write-write-write, and so I'm going to do my best to start leading some of my longer fics towards completion. Tentatively, I'm planning on writing more of The Last Wish and The Man Beneath the Braid, but I may play around with the Choose Your Own Adventure story or A Fragile Light, too. Or, maybe Beachside. Or Clover and Lilacs. Maybe I'll flip a coin. Or...er...three coins. *sweatdrop*  
  
[3] Comments and criticisms are, of course, welcome and appreciated.   
  
[4] Void where prohibited. See your local retailer for details. 


	2. Chapter II: My Brother, the Ideal Woman...

---  
  
Another Opportunity For Sibling Bonding  
  
Chapter II: My Brother, the Ideal Woman?  
  
~*~  
  
"Niisama, you make an even better girl than I do." I smiled, twisted the last lock of violet hair and tucked it under a clip, then stood back to admire my work.   
  
I felt a slight chill tickle up my spine. Ryuen was perfect. Maybe scarily perfect. I mean, I guess I'd always known that he had a pretty face, that that soft white skin and those delicate features weren't exactly the kind your typical male possessed. But this was...well, scary. I'd pulled his hair up into a visually-complicated set of braids and twists, lacing a few ribbons in through the strands to give it more cohesion. Some of Niisama's hair was too short to stay in the braids, though, and that dangled down in front of his eyes in wispy bangs, framed the face I was having trouble recognizing as...well, my BROTHER'S.   
  
"Great Suzaku." Rokou sat down hard, wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead. "Ryuen, you look...you look--!"  
  
Niisama raised an eyebrow, hands still folded neatly in his lap. "Like a boy in girl's clothing?" he offered dryly.  
  
Rokou shook his head adamantly. "No. You look like...you look like a..." There was a long pause, in which Ryuen and I both glanced up, studied Aniki with matching frowns. Suddenly seeming to realize he was being stared at, Rokou blushed, slid a little abruptly off his stool and stalked to the door. "I'll be back later," he mumbled. A moment later, he'd vanished into the main room of the shop, and we heard him clomping to the door.  
  
I burst out laughing. "I guess it was too much for him."  
  
Ryuen's eyebrow lifted a little more. It was strange, watching the facial expressions I was so familiar with enact themselves on this beautiful, unfamiliar girl's face. I looked at her again, struggled to remember how she'd looked about ten minutes earlier...but, that knowledge was gone. There was only her, now, with her wide violet eyes and delicate cheekbones and lightly-painted lips.   
  
"Do I really look that different?"  
  
I snapped out of it at the sound of Niisama's voice, breaking through the illusion with what I hoped was a barely-noticeable start. I nodded, latched onto his hands and pulled him to his feet. To his credit, Niisama moved with a strange, natural sort of grace, swishing along in the skirts like he'd been born to do just that. As we crossed to the full-length mirror in the corner, I found myself envying the effortless fluidity to his stance and walk, envying the strange and very feminine beauty that seemed to surround Ryuen in an aura of untouchable grace and sophistication. How had this happened? My brother, the ideal woman? My brother, the epitome of beauty and elegance?   
  
Kaasan would be so proud that her endless femininity lessons hadn't gone to waste on SOMEONE in this family.  
  
Finally, we reached the mirror, and I felt Ryuen stiffen beside me. In the mirror, the beautiful girl's eyes went wide, and the painted rose of her lips parted in shock. Standing there beside her, of course, was me, looking short and almost boyish in comparison. My hair hung in a simple ponytail, that being the easiest way to keep it out of my face, and I was dressed in what seemed, now, to be a drab and simple dress, intended more for freedom of movement than for its looks. Standing here next to this beautiful girl with the elegant twists to her hair and the stylish burgundy dress emphasizing the slimness of her figure, it was almost painfully obvious just how inadequate I was.   
  
I felt a hand on my arm, snapped out of the thoughts like I'd been struck. I turned away from the mirror, found myself staring into eyes that were large and violet and lightly lined in black...but, which were unmistakably the eyes of my brother, of Ryuen, of someone who knew me better than I knew myself. His fingers were strong, slim and delicate but possessing a strength all their own. I closed my eyes, felt a soft smile trickle onto my lips. Yes, this was the touch of my brother. Niisama's strong hands, Niisama's knowing eyes; that hadn't changed. HE hadn't changed.  
  
But, maybe I had.  
  
"Korin," Ryuen said softly. "We should probably go."  
  
I managed a nod, opened my eyes. "Hai," I agreed, "we probably should."  
  
"It's still me under here, you know."  
  
I nodded, turned away and gathered the remainder of the hair clips from the table, slipped them into the pouch I carried at my waist. "Hai, hai, I know." My voice sounded high and a little unnatural, but there was nothing I could do to fix it. Something inside of me was writhing, and all the logic in the world wasn't going to stop it.  
  
Niisama snagged my wrist, spun me back to face him. "You don't have to pretend with me, Korin."  
  
I knew that. I knew that. But, gods...gods, why was it always so easy for him? It wasn't that I wanted to be pretty and dainty and elegant--I liked who I was, and I didn't want to change that...but, Ryuen had just achieved in a few minutes what Kaasan and everyone else in my life had been struggling to get me to accomplish for most of my life.   
  
He got it, I could see it in his eyes. He could've called me on it right there, said, "You're jealous because I make a better girl than you do!" and ended the entire discussion...but, of course, he didn't. He wasn't Rokou. And, hey, what was the point, anyway? We both knew what was going on. No need to vocalize it.  
  
So, I just nodded, let Niisama's fingers slip off my wrist and tried to recapture some of my dignity. "I know. Gomen. But...you're right. We should get going. Suzaku only knows where those bandits are, and we need to get those dresses in time for Tousan to have them shipped tonight."  
  
He still had that troubled look in his eyes, that this-is-my-fault-somehow-and-I-have-to-fix-it look, but after a few seconds, he nodded, and I watched those mental tracks shift again to the problem at hand. "Right. Let's get going."  
  
We gathered up our meager belongings--I had a small leather satchel, and Ryuen was dragging along a bag with a change of clothes in it for when we returned--and started to make our way to the storeroom door. I was just stepping out into the shop when, abruptly, the front door jingled open, and a familiar and slightly-wobbly figure moved into view.  
  
"Get back," I hissed over my shoulder.   
  
I didn't have time to check if Ryuen had moved, or not. I took a long step forward and swung the door shut behind me. As such, I was standing with my back leaning against the doorknob when Tousan reached me.  
  
"Korin?" he said. His eyes were a little bloodshot, and I could catch a faint whiff of something alcoholic on his breath. "What're you doing back here? Shop's closed for the day. Go home." He blinked a few times, coughed once and sent a flood of toxic breath flooding into my face. I tried not to gag. "Where're your brothers?"  
  
I answered without pause. "At home. Ryuen wasn't feeling well, and Rokou wanted to go with him."  
  
Tousan nodded, offered a brief, "Mm." Then, he turned around, walked a little wobbily to the counter, and leaned against it, elbows pressing down against the polished wood. "Ne, Kori-chan."  
  
I felt my eyes widen. Kori-chan? How drunk was he? I hadn't heard that name since I was little, and even then, Tousan only used it on certain occasions, usually when he was trying to comfort me. I remembered one time in particular--Ryuen was spending the night in the city with Kaasan, and I had a nightmare. Rokou slept like the dead, didn't hear me crying...but, Tousan did. He came into the room, picked me up and held me in his arms and said, "It's okay, Kori-chan. Just a dream. Just a dream, it's okay."  
  
Why was he using it now? Did he think I needed comforting or something? Or...  
  
I moved to his side, leaned against the counter beside him. "Hai?"  
  
He was staring down at the swirls on the wood, his eyes distant and vaguely thoughtful. "I'm sorry this had to happen this way. I wanted something better for you."  
  
The frown bent at my lips. What the hell was he talking about? "Something...better?"  
  
Tousan nodded. He still looked a little wobbly, but there was a new clarity in his eyes, making his next words all the more puzzling. "Hai. Something better than this. Working in the shop, not having time for schooling or friends or...boys. This order of Haiko-sama's was supposed to change that. All that money..." A slight, bittersweet smile touched his lips. "Was gonna send you to the capital. The palace. You coulda been an empress, Kori-chan. I'know Heika-sama would've loved you..."  
  
I felt cold. What in the name of the gods...? "Tousan, you've been drinking--"  
  
"Something better," he continued. "It'd put you with girls your own age, get you away from all these...all these *men.*"  
  
I closed my eyes. I didn't have time for this, and was certainly not in the mood for another why-can't-you-act-more-like-a-girl speech. "I need to get home," I said. "Ryuen--"  
  
"You know, when you were born, your mother was so happy. That was all she ever wanted, a little girl..." He sighed. "It's my fault things happened the way they did. Should never've made you work in the shop. That's what did it, I'll bet. Hanging around with all these boys, seeing nobody but your brothers every day...it's my fault." He looked up, then, stared at me with such intense sorrow in his eyes that I felt the breath catch in my lungs. "I'm sorry, Kori-chan," he whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
Tears burned in my eyes, and I had to turn away. I wanted to get out of here. So. Badly. Why was Tousan doing this to me? Was he TRYING to hurt me? I had to...I had to leave.  
  
I was outside a few seconds later, and Tousan didn't make any move to stop me or come after me. My vision was blurred, and I could feel the heat of the sobs hanging in the back of my throat, begging to be released...but I couldn't cry. Not here, not now. Not when I was trying to be strong, damn it. Something touched my arm, and I skidded to a halt just at the edge of the road.  
  
Ryuen was behind me, his eyes dark and angry and alive with something vaguely frightening. "That man," he growled, "is full of *shit.*"  
  
I blinked, stared at him as if really seeing him for the first time. "How did you--"  
  
"Through the front door. Tousan's practically passed out on the counter. But, good gods, Korin, don't listen to him. Where the hell does he get off, talking to you like that? Great Suzaku, if he wasn't my father..."  
  
I frowned. "Niisama..."  
  
He drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly through the lips I'd painted a dusky rose. "Sorry. It's just..." Ryuen shook his head, grabbed me by the shoulders and locked me in a strange, intense stare. "There's nothing *wrong* with you, Korin. There's nothing wrong with the way you are. Don't let them do this to you. Don't let them tell you that you should try to be something you're *not.* It isn't right."  
  
I could only stare at my brother in stricken silence, the fervor of his words still ringing in my ears, and nod wordlessly. Where was this sudden passion coming from? I shook my head, resolved to figure it out later, when there wasn't so much to be done...and so little time to do it in.  
  
Noticing the change in my expression, Ryuen nodded. "Right," he said quietly. "We'll talk about this later. Let's go. Rokou said they cut off into the woods--I think I might know where they went."  
  
"Hai."  
  
Niisama led the way, me trailing just behind, observing the reactions of the passersby with something bordering between amusement and consternation. More than one male jaw dropped upon glimpsing the elegant beauty in front of me, and several female eyebrows raised in envy. I glanced at Ryuen's profile as I walked, saw that it was creased with thought. Planning out our daring dress rescue, I was sure. Was he completely oblivious?   
  
And, was it wrong of me, to be jealous of my own brother? And, for something like THIS?  
  
It wasn't until much later than the impact of Ryuen's speech touched me, or that I realized just where all that passion had come from. There was more to my brother than even I knew, and I was about to find out just how deeply that passion ran.  
  
~*~  
  
To Be Continued.  
  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES:  
  
[1] Well, I've tried to work away from it, but it seems Korin is determined not to be twelve in this fic. -_-;; So, from henceforth, Korin is now thirteen-going-on-fourteen, and--gomen ne, Mouse-chan--all other ages will have to be adjusted accordingly. :) But, hey, a thirteen-year-old Tasuki will be ALMOST as amusing, ne? ^_~.  
  
[2] Arrigato to Kokkei for reading over this for me and spotting *gasp* a typo. One went unnoticed in the last chapter, and alas, I feared I might die of shame. ^_~.  
  
[3] More to come. And, gasp-choke, the next chapter will involve the appearance of one of the other Suzaku seishi! Who could it be, who could it beeeeeee? Muwahaha.  
  
[4] Commentary and criticism welcome, and very conducive to Author Happiness. *nods* 


	3. Chapter III: Ryuen, Woman of the Forest

---  
  
Another Opportunity For Sibling Bonding  
  
Chapter III: Ryuen, Woman of the Forest  
  
~*~  
  
"How in the name of Suzaku do you DO that?"   
  
Ryuen glanced back at me, blinked a few times. "Do what?"  
  
We'd been trekking over a faint path for almost an hour now, brushing our way past weeds and thorns, over rocky rises and across log bridges determined to tip and roll beneath our feet. And, yet... I took a few steps to catch up with him, shook the mud from my fingertips, the thorns from my skirt, the twigs from where they'd tangled in my hair. "How do you stay so...so...*perfect*? I mean--gods, no thorns, no twigs, no mud." Despite myself, I smiled. "It's like the woods're afraid to touch you."  
  
Ryuen sniffed, blew humbly on his knuckles. "Of course, they are. It's not everyday you see a crossdressing Suzaku shichiseishi, you know. They're just showing their respect."  
  
I tried to hold it in, I really did. But, with Ryuen standing there, gorgeous as an Imperial Harem girl and talking in that high voice--I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing. It was too loud--especially in the woods--but, it swept over me like a tide, and before it left, I was lying on my side on the ground, gasping for breath and brushing tears away from my eyes. "Crossdressing shichiseishi," I managed. "Good...gods..."  
  
"Wait! Shh." A second's pause. "Someone's coming, get off the path!"  
  
I collected myself quickly. It wasn't often that I heard that voice from Niisama--tight, tense, and quick--but, I knew to obey it when it came. Still wiping at my eyes, I drew myself up from the ground, found that Ryuen had gathered his skirts and was moving near-silently to the edge of the path, heading for a big oak. And, now that I'd stopped laughing, I could hear just what was making him go.  
  
It came from ahead of us, from down the path. We'd been climbing up a small rise in the ground, had been about two thirds of the way to the top when we stopped. But, something was coming up the other side, moving quickly and not-too-quietly--and, if we didn't get out of sight fast...  
  
I grabbed onto my skirt, turned, and hurried after Niisama, careful to keep my feet away from twigs and branches. "You think it's bandits?" I whispered once we'd settled in behind the big oak.   
  
Ryuen shook his head, bringing an index finger to his lips. I nodded and--creeping as silently as I could to the left edge of the tree--peered past the bark and out onto the path. It was a few seconds before anything happened. The rustling was drawing nearer, faster, coming up over the hilltop--I glimpsed a flicker of red through the trees--  
  
"THERE you guys are!"  
  
I froze. That voice. That loud, echoing, damnably-familiar voice. It wasn't coming from up the path, like it should've been. No. Gods, no. It was coming from right behind us.  
  
Oblivious to the fact that Ryuen and I were frantically waving our arms at him to be quiet, Rokou came tramping up to us like the Seiryuu seishi were chasing after him, skidded to a halt just beside the tree and let out a heavy sigh. "Gods, I've been lookin' all over the place for you two! Where've you been? And, what're you doin' hiding behind a--"  
  
A slim figure suddenly stepped into view. "I was wondering much the same thing."  
  
I felt the breath go out of my lungs, felt Ryuen go suddenly stiff beside me.   
  
"A...a tree," Rokou finished belatedly.  
  
It was like we were under some kind of spell. We just stood there, Ryuen and I still leaning up against the oak, Rokou standing a little behind us with his mouth hanging open, and stared at him. It wasn't like his picture was plastered all over Eiyo, or like I would've been in the right places to look at it if it were--but, even so, I knew who he was. He was tall, almost a full head taller than Ryuen or me, and was dressed in what was--for him, anyway--a simple white shirt (gold-embroidered along the edges, of course), dark trousers, boots, and a cloak. The cloak was what I'd noticed earlier, I guessed, since it was the only thing he was wearing that was red, but I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to be wearing more clothes than they had to in this kind of weather.  
  
Then again, I'd always heard weird things about royalty.  
  
The boy took a small step towards us, brushed his hair back behind his shoulders. My eyes followed it almost against my will, caught up in the way the light flickered on the hair, made it glow like tanned gold in the sun. "Hello," he said. His voice was softer than it had been the first time he spoke, sounding a little distracted--and, it didn't take much thought to figure out just what might be distracting him.   
  
"Hello," Ryuen murmured. Before I knew what was happening, he'd brushed past me and taken the hand the boy offered, and I watched him smile as his smaller hand was drawn to the boy's lips.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Great. Just great. I could just hear the explanation, now. //Oh, well, Tousan, we didn't get the dresses back...but, Heika-sama is in love with Ryuen! Yeah, I thought you'd be pleased...//   
  
But, then, those eyes--like liquid amber, good gods!--were on me, and suddenly it was MY hand being encircled by those princely fingers, MY hand being drawn up to those lips. I've never been one to giggle or swoon...but, good gods, I wanted to now. It took every ounce of willpower I had in me not to.  
  
By the time I'd recovered, Heika-sama had greeted Rokou, too, although obviously not in quite the same way. He grabbed Aniki's hand between his fingers, shook it firmly. And then, the greetings over, the boy glanced at each of us in turn, bowed his head a bit as if in apology. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said. His voice was as smooth as his skin, as liquid as his eyes. Suddenly seeming to remember something, he glanced at Ryuen and me. "I thought I heard a woman sobbing. I don't suppose that was either one of you?"  
  
Sobbing... I felt my cheeks redden, opened my mouth to try to explain--  
  
"Yes!" Ryuen exclaimed. "Yes. That was...that was me." He sniffled a little, managed to bring such a look of sorrow to his face that I felt the breath trickle out of my lungs. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was around, or I would never have cried so loudly."  
  
He was covering for me, I knew, trying to keep me from embarrassment...but, gods, the way he looked at her then! I mean. I coughed inwardly. Ryuen. Him. Not her. Damn, this was hard. And...well, a little strange.  
  
Heika-sama looked like he was one step away from offering his sleeve as a hankerchief. "What were you crying for? Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
An idea hit me hard, blew the words out of my mouth in a little dry bullet of air. "She was crying because bandits stole our dresses!"   
  
Ryuen and Rokou were staring at me--I could feel their eyes burning into the back of my head--but I paid no attention.   
  
"Bandits?" Heika gasped. His face twisted in what looked a lot like righteous anger. "That's TERRIBLE!"  
  
"It is," said Ryuen, bowing his head a little. Ever the resilient actor... "We were taking them to our father's shop, and bandits attacked us on the way."  
  
"It was terrifying," I added.  
  
Ryuen nodded. "Yes. They took all the dresses we had--a very expensive order. Without them, our father will lose his shop."  
  
The young prince's eyes widened. "You're not...you're not trying to get them back, are you? All by yourselves?"  
  
"They DO have me," Rokou grumbled.  
  
"Still!" Heika exclaimed. "That's insane! Two girls and a young boy, going into a nest of bandits? How will you do such a thing?"  
  
Ryuen sniffled, and I could've sworn I saw a glimmer of tears in his eyes. "We don't know," he said mournfully, "but what other choice do we have?"  
  
Heika's voice was firm. "I will go with you." His hand slipped to his belt, patted a slender sheath I hadn't noticed before. "With my sword and I, at least you'll be protected."  
  
"Oh, we couldn't ask that of you..." Ryuen's eyelashes fluttered.  
  
"No. I insist." Expression still firm with resolve, the boy gave a slight bow, let the hair trickle over his shoulders in a wave of golden brown. "My name is Saihitei."  
  
"I'm Rokou," Aniki said, looking relieved to finally have something worthwhile to say. "And, this is Korin and--" He broke off, suddenly, eyes going wide. "This is...er...this is..."  
  
Ryuen stepped forward with a rustle of skirts and a soft smile. "Call me Hoshi," he said.  
  
The young prince smiled. "Hoshi," he echoed. "Very pleased to meet you. Hoshi... Oh, a-and you, Korin. And, Rokou."  
  
Right. Pleased to meet all of us. Uh-huh.  
  
Gods, it was gonna be a long day.  
  
---  
  
To Be Continued... 


End file.
